


Freud and Familiarity

by Chub n Tux (attimesiwrite)



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4, Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Daddy Issues, Emotional Constipation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Feels, Freudian Elements, Gen, Sexual Content, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, heheheh, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-05-12 17:19:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5674246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/attimesiwrite/pseuds/Chub%20n%20Tux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nora Archer was a pre-war relic that shouldn't have been preserved - at least that's what she thinks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Nuclear war._

Even though the shrouded threat loomed over nearly every aspect of Nora’s life since she could remember she never expected it to actually appear. Nuclear war was the boogeyman. A foe with a name and a very real reason to fear it – but with no face. An unpredictable and unprecedented man-made force of destruction.

It haunted her as a child – the boogeyman of nuclear fire and death. Her father was an officer in the Army. A real hard ass of a man with a soft spot just big enough for her to settle down in. He loved her – adored her; which is why at the mere notion of a siren he would find her and drag her down to the dusty old bomb shelter in the battered colonial mansion they called home.

She could remember it like it was yesterday. Sirens, running, and that damn room. Her father would sit her down, hand her a mask and give her instructions. The same one every damn time:

“Put on your mask, sit down, and wait for the three-two. Understood?”

The three-two was a code of knocks that she had created with her father one Sunday afternoon over lunch. They had just came home from church and her father covertly suggested they create a secret code between just the two of them. It was playful and Nora agreed enthusiastically, feeling like spy in cahoots with her father. Of course, the lackadaisical charm wore off after she realized what it would be used for.

She hated the bomb shelter. It was a droll concrete room with two massive metal containers filled to the brim with military surplus supplies. Stimpaks, food, chems, masks, clothing, you name it – it was in there. The only saving grace in the room was the small Sock Monkey doll that sat in the corner: an attempt at civility by her mother to comfort her during the tense drills.

Soon – although not soon enough – her father would come back to the room, knock three times – break and then two times and Nora would hit the switch next to the cot she waited on. He always appeared to be sympathetic about throwing her in the bomb shelter but he would never really show it. Instead he would tell her to stiffen her upper lip and carry on with her day or night.

And she did.

American society was streamlined into strict conformity and growing up in a military family pushed that conformity. Yet vague self-awareness hit her when she was in college. Studying law had brought her to the brink of a few agency lists as at times her and colleagues would sniff around the wrong documents, pose the wrong questions… talk to the wrong people…

However, Nora managed to keep her nose clean and with that beautiful piece of paper went on to become a legal activist for veterans. It was a noble cause that she felt for. Her father was a seasoned veteran and her mother a devoted member of WAVEs. Yes, she felt for it truly.

That’s how she met Nate, actually. A decorated grunt with PTSD and a whole host of other issues that was denied his veterans benefits due to an incompetent system. She jumped on the case… and not just because of those beautiful baby blues that caught her eye when he walked into her firm. The suit gained traction and the two became the face of veteran’s affairs in Boston. It wasn’t long that all of those public appearances together spurred on rumors. The rumors that as Nate had said with that tell-tale smirk, “could use some substantiating.”

It was a whirlwind romance. Within six months they were walking down the aisle in a small, private ceremony. Nora wasn’t one for extravagance… not to mention that she despised the notion of having to plan a wedding. She hated pageantry.  She liked getting to the point; a trait that she inherited from her parents and one that Nate adored.

Then came domestic bliss. Or so she thought. Marriage wasn’t easy for her or Nate.

Nate was the kind of man to disappear without a moment’s notice to go do God knows what. He wasn’t unfaithful – that much Nora knew – but he enjoyed his hobbies and his solitude. He enjoyed exploring, hunting, shooting, carpentry… things that he did alone. He would share his knowledge with her on these subjects and at times take her along, but it was evident that he enjoyed doing it alone.

Nora was a worker. A hard worker. While at times she couldn’t stand her colleagues, she adored her job. Nate respected this, but did take issue with her obsessive work ethic. Nora also enjoyed company; small get-togethers, lively conversation, long phone conversations and general pleasantries. It drove Nate crazy.

It’s also why Nora, as she wandered across the wasteland, was convinced that God had a screw loose when he decided for her to survive and Nate to die. It confused – angered – even saddened her. Nate would have fit so well in the Commonwealth. He was a military man: Resourceful, tactical, and adaptable. She wasn’t any of those things.

Lucky for her, that lesson about stiffening her upper lip and carrying on really stuck as she took on the now unfamiliar world. Nate was gone and it hurt. But Shaun was still out there, and if there was anything that she could do, she could get him back.

* * *

 

It was late at night when the radiation storm began. Nora was somewhere between asleep and awake when the distinct distortion of soundwaves entered her dreams. At first she really thought it was a dream – but Dogmeat’s persistent whining and pacing finally brought her to and when her eyes adjusted to the dark room, the oncoming green tinted fog in the distance came into view from her window. Groaning, she drew the covers to her body and wrapped them around herself, grabbing the dim lantern that sat on her bedside. She walked brusquely through the wooden hut that she had built on top of the Red Rocket and stopped by the second room from the door.

“Pipe.” She called out, her throat dry and voice raspy. The motionless black form on the bed remained so and Nora repeated herself, voice louder.. Piper jolted awake, sitting up and reaching for the gun at her bedside.

“Calm down. We gotta go down to the shop. Radiation storm.” Nora explained as another distorted soundwave reached her ears. She yawned, taking her eyes from Piper.

“Fuck, man.” The other woman cursed as she, too grabbed her sheets and grabbed her boots. “Just shake me awake or something next time. I don’t need you screaming at me.”

“I wasn’t screaming.” Nora yawned again, pulling the sheets closer to her body as Piper joined her in the narrow hallway. Her nose wrinkled as the sour scent of stale beer hit her. “Jesus, you stink. You been drinking?”

“I don’t feel like talking about it. I’m fuckin’ tired.”                

Nora didn’t push and they both swiftly left the hut and made their way down the wooden staircase that lead to the shop door. Dogmeat travelled ahead, anxiously waiting by the door as the wind began to pick up. Nora met him and hit the switch. The door rolled open slowly and they moved in, closing it behind them. Nora’s Geiger clicked just a few times as she closed the other door, and soon the two women and the dog were safe from the radiation.

Piper all but collapsed on the love seat situated by her power armor. “Remind me why you built a hut on top of the gas station?”

Nora, still on auto pilot, muttered her reply as she fiddled with the lantern. “Because I thought it would be fun. Now, let’s get some sleep. I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”

“Where you running off to now?”

“The Prydwen.”

“The Brotherhood? Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“You’re just going because of that beefy guy.”

“Shut up.” Nora chuckled and hissed as the flame bit at her finger. The wick finally caught the flame and Nora flipped the lighter shut. Staying crouched, she curled the blankets underneath herself and fell back onto them, contently wrapped and sitting on the humongous sheet.

“Why are you going down there anyways?”

Nora closed her eyes and leaned her head against the side of the night table. “Elder Maxson sent a message for me to stop by. Not too sure what for.”

“Ah. Think I could come with?”

Nora peeked at the other woman with one eye and saw the devilish grin growing across her face. “Absolutely not. I’m meeting with the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel. The last thing I need is for you to interrogate him for some piece you’re doing.”

“Buzzkill.”

With a snort, Nora shut her eyes and huddled into the blanket. “Goodnight, Piper.”

“Night, Blue.”

* * *

 

Walking aboard the Prydwen still made Nora dizzy, although by now she should have been used to the vertigo by now. Her gloved hand gripped the side railing of the ship tightly as she walked across the flight deck.

“Good Afternoon, Knight.”

The title still through Nora though a loop. It sounded so off. So archaic. Knight Archer. Knight Nora Archer. She felt like some warrior maiden straight out of Camelot. Disregarding the thought, Nora nodded in acknowledgement and worked her way into the ship.

Nora walked into the quarterdeck, halting mid step as she entered to find that Elder Maxson wasn’t taking point in his normal place. In fact, no one was there. Nora peeked over her shoulder before turning her gaze back to the glass front before her. Unsure of herself, she sighed and took a seat in one of the chairs situated near the glass. She looked over the airport, feeling ever so nostalgic as she looked down over the remnants of the massive airbuses beneath her. Yawning, she tapped the side of the chair, reminiscing about the few times she had to fly out of the mess below. Times were so different back then, so simple. Overwhelmed by sudden sadness, Nora withdrew her gaze and opted for peeking at her pip-boy instead.

Hydraulics and a slam of metal on metal drew her attention away from the glowing mechanism on her arm and to the doorway. Elder Maxson appeared from the other side of the bulkhead, his gaze locked onto the ground in front of him. Nora stood from her chair suddenly, the movement causing a creak in the floor and bringing Maxson from whatever daze he was in.

“Knight. I wasn’t expecting on seeing you so soon.” Firm, formal, militaristic. It brought about a familiar warmth to Nora and she nodded, keeping her face emotionless as his.

“I left early this morning. I wanted to get here as soon as possible.”

“Excellent. I might as well take advantage of your punctuality.” If Nora didn’t know any better she might have noted the slight hint of snark tinging his statement. “I have an assignment for you. However, last night I was analyzing your file and I came across something that… Well, to be quite frank, I didn’t believe it.”

Nora knew where he was going with it. As soon as people found out about her real age they always postured the question the exact same way. Being asked the same questions over and over again irritated her, but with Maxson she couldn’t afford being irritated. Where she would normally say something to put the subject at rest, she allowed him to continue.

“You were cryogenically frozen in a vault.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “For 200 years. You lived before the war.”

The man stopped there, seemingly finished with his round of statements. Nora cleared her throat and nodded. “Yes.”

“Forgive my ignorance: Do you mind if I ask you questions?” His inquisitiveness suddenly reminded Nora of a child.

Smiling slightly, Nora relaxed her posture. “Go ahead.”

“What did you do before the war?”

Nora took it upon herself to sit down again and she smoothed her hands out over the table before her. “I was a prosecutor. When people felt as if they had been wronged against the law they came to me for help.”

Maxson walked nearer to her, eyes locked onto the airport beneath them. “Were you a good prosecutor?”

“I like to think so.”

“Any family?”

Nora hesitated but answered, “My father was an officer in the Army. My mother was a doctor in the Navy. I was an only child.”

“And your husband?”

There was a tense silence that followed the question. Nora didn’t recall telling the Brotherhood about Nate. She hadn’t even told Danse. “He was a soldier. He was murdered in the vault.”

“Your son?”

“Kidnapped by the Institute.”

“My condolences.”

Nora hoped that her silence wasn’t coming off as rude because she hadn’t anything to say. It appeared as if the stoic Elder took her silence for what it was and explained himself. “I found parts of your record simply inconceivable and wanted some closure. You’re an invaluable asset to me and my curiosity got the best of me. I apologize.”

“It’s… Okay.” Nora began, pushing a few stray curls from her face. “I’m still adjusting to everything and the shock of losing my entire family hasn’t settled in quite yet. What I told you is true.” His dark eyes found her and her chest warmed considerably. He was a handsome young man, beard and scars aging him far too much. His thick eyebrows knitted together and his lips parted as if he was going to speak. But he didn’t. In fact, Maxson looked back out to the airport and cleared his throat.

“Thank you for indulging me, Knight Archer. Paladin Danse is eager to see you. I believe he is visiting Proctor Quinlan right now.”

Nora risked a tight smile and stood, bringing her fist across her heart as a token of respect to the younger man. Maxson returned the gesture, spinning on his heel and walking away from her to the table across the room, where several manila folders awaited him. Nora hesitated to leave but managed to force herself, the urge to ask the true nature of her summoning great but the desire to leave the awkward exchange greater.  With the heels of her boot clicking furiously against the metal floors, Nora hastily made her way to the quarters.

* * *

 

Nora became a figure head of the Prydwen within a few days’ time of first boarding the vessel. She had been drawn to the Brotherhood because she felt like the organization was a kindred spirit to her. She grew up with the military, by the military and later went on to fight the law for the military. Hell, she even married the military in a way. She was drawn to structured danger, to concise formality, to fervent teamwork. She had heard bad things about the Brotherhood, but felt hopeful when she joined up. Perhaps she could help the Brotherhood become a beacon of stability in the Commonwealth along with the Minutemen.

Faces flew by as Nora worked her way down the steel corridors and rumbling floors of the Prydwen. Knight Archer – her title and her maiden name – became her new identity. It was nice. Familiar.

She first stopped by her rack, which was a neatly made as the day she had left it, to rip the beret off of her head and release the tight bun that she had fought to put her unruly hair in earlier in the morning. As far as she knew, there was no hair regulation within the Brotherhood of Steel – but the notion of looking squared away for superiors was nice.

Whether from the lack of sleep, the bun, or her embarrassing encounter with Elder Maxson, Nora’s head felt as if it was going to explode. When her hair released from the bun she let out a sigh, situating herself on the edge of the mattress and staring at her hands. Piper was right in a way; Nora’s infatuation with the Brotherhood of Steel wasn’t just for familiarity and comradery.

Danse had… captivated her. Was it love, friendship, or sexual? She wasn’t sure. But it definitely was Freudian in nature. A soldier like Nate but a stoic leader like her father, it seemed like God may have been working in her favor when he assigned Danse to take her under his wing.

Nora worked her fingers against her scalp before trying to gain some sort of control over her hair once more. Satisfied with the result of her struggle, she left her rack to find the Paladin that plagued her thoughts.

When she found him he wasn’t in Proctor Quinlan’s office but instead standing by the noodle stand in the mess hall. When they made eye contact from across the room, the Paladin gave a half smile and waved her over.

“Hi!” Nora smiled broadly and bounced up on her toes excitedly when in front of the man. Even in fatigues he towered over her imposingly.

“Knight Archer. I had heard you were coming back to the Prydwen.” He was so formal when they were aboard the Prydwen, so different from how they were out in the field. Nora never questioned it, though. She knew there were appearances to keep. And even among the honor-upholding fraternity of the Brotherhood of Steel they weren’t impervious to low-brow suspicion. It wasn’t often that someone of Paladin Danse’s tenure would take a complete strange under their wing. Some of the young, rash Scribes reminded her of how their relationship appeared at times.

“News gets around fast here.” Nora chuckled and tried not to notice the five o-clock shadow he had. Before something had the chance to stir within her she continued. “Elder Maxson sent for me yesterday. I got here as quick as I could.”

The Paladin’s eyebrows knit together for just a split second and if Nora hadn’t been paying attention she would have missed it. His eyes left hers and scanned the mess hall for a mere moment before they returned to her. “You made good time.”

For the first time ever, Danse had no words for Nora and it made her feel uncomfortable. Had she said something offensive? Her appearance? Were people staring at them? Nora risked a peek over her shoulder before looking back to the Paladin. She lowered her voice considerably. “Is something wrong?”

Danse blinked slowly, his dark brown eyes hiding something… Or were they? For being talented at hiding her true emotions, Nora felt like she was going to scream from frustration. “No. I – I’m about to leave for an assignment. Simple search and destroy. You interested in joining me?”

Nora nodded. “Yeah, sure.”

“Outstanding. You go ahead and take a vertibird to the Airport. I’ll meet you down there.”

“Will do.” Nora barely had the opportunity to say the words before the Paladin left her standing alone in the mess hall. Sighing, she watched him walk away, her temples throbbing.

* * *

 

Keeping true to his word, Paladin Danse met Nora on the ground about an hour after she landed. She had been sitting on a bench near the firing range when he approached, her eyes trained on the choppy water in the distance.

“Knight.”

Nora’s gaze broke from the water and she looked at the man, smirking slightly. “Paladin.”

“We’re going to an old military surplus depot just outside of the airport. There’s purportedly a large piece of detonatable ballistics in it. We’re going to clear the area and hold it off so Scribes can come to disarm and collect.”

“Sounds like fun.” Nora stood and followed the power armor clad man. She tinkered with her rifle as they made their way to the entrance of the base.

One of the things that Nora appreciated the most about Danse was that he didn’t talk her ear off, but seemed to enjoy talking to her when she wanted. So when she wanted silence, there was silence. When she wanted to talk, they would talk. It was an amiable relationship, although they never divulged too much about themselves to one another they felt close.

This is why Nora was unnerved by the fact that Maxson knew about Nate and Shaun. Not even Danse knew, and she considered herself close to Danse. Very close. Nora thought about it for a second before taking a deep breath and beginning a conversation that she didn’t want to have.

“Danse, can I speak with you off the record?”

The man’s pace didn’t change as they exited the base. He didn’t even look back at her as he spoke. “Of course. I have with you several times.”

Nora appreciated the sentiment. But there was something in the way he said the words. It was too professional. Too sterile.

“When I came to the Prydwen this afternoon, I… I was summoned by Elder Maxson for what I assumed was an op or something or another. But he just… asked me questions – very personal questions. I didn’t know if you knew anything about that or not.”

There was no immediate response and the silence became almost unbearable. Nora followed close behind but didn’t look at him while they were moving along. It irritated her. Made her almost sick feeling. He acted so out of character.

“I assume that he was trying to get to know his newest Knight.”

“But why? One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed the Brotherhood so much is because you all don’t pry into my life. You make me feel comfortable. You don’t push. Today there wasn’t even pushing. He was just… I don’t know… stating facts about my personal life before the war and it made me… I was uncomfortable, is all.”

Again, no response, and Nora felt even more uncomfortable. She was grateful for the dim sunset as her face was on fire – from frustration or embarrassment, she couldn’t tell. They made the rest of the trip in silence, weapons raised and thoughts flying. When the depot came into view, Danse came to a halt and motioned for Nora to halt and crouch. She obeyed the hand signal, her eyes trained on the dimly lit building up ahead.

“Comms on.”

Nora reached up to her ear and flicked the small switch. White noise filtered through her ear canal, making her wince before settling down into a gentle hum.

“I’ll take point behind the sign, you scout ahead and report.”

“Affirmative.” Nora crouched and made her way to the rocky area just behind the depot. There were not enemies in immediate sight, much to her confusion, as the place seemed heavily defended with fences and a turret on the opposite side.

“Three entrances. One garage door, one security entrance and a hole in the roof. One turret facing North next to the security door, heavy defense walls surrounding the garage entryway.”

“Is the hole accessible?”

Sure enough it was. The fencing around the facility itself was heavy but broken down in some places. As fate would dictate, a decrepit tree had fallen onto one of the broken down sections of fence, providing a stable-looking climb to the roof of the building.

“Yes. I can climb to it.”

“Go for it. I’ll provide covering from the front while you flank them. Let me know when you’re in and I’ll engage.” They worked together like a well-oiled machine. It wasn’t perfect, but sometimes it seemed like it got awfully close.

Nora moved quickly and quietly, two things that took some time to learn in the Commonwealth. She was a spry woman – even before the war she was. Kind of short, thin… dainty if you will. She wasn’t exactly built to take enemies head on unless in a power suit.

She climbed onto the fence and the tree, crawling like a cat up the large trunk until she reached the rusted steel roof of the facility. “Place seems to be abandoned so far.” Nora commented into the comm device.

“Stay frosty. I’ve got my sights on you.”

Nora couldn’t help but chuckle at the timing of the comment. She was pulling her body onto the roof, her backside facing where Danse was taking point. “Well I hope you enjoy the view.”

She regretted the humorous comment as soon as she said it. Danse wasn’t one to joke around on an op. Nonetheless a weird sexual joke. She took a moment to inhale and exhale with her eyes closed, trying to forget what she just said. “Sorry, that was… dumb.”

No response.

_Jesus, what’s wrong with you, Nora?_

Blushing furiously and with her pulse raging in her temples, Nora tried her best to focus on the broken windows and hole in front of her instead of the white noise coming from the other side of the comm. She inched herself forward, peering down into the facility.

However, the wooden panel she was leaning on began to give way, and she barely caught herself on the metal railing of what was the second floor of the building as she slid from the sagging hole in the roof. The panel of sheet metal and wood she had been sitting on crashed to the bottom of the facility unceremoniously. Nora gasped but quickly shut her mouth, trying not to alert anything that might be lurking nearby.

“Archer?”

She would have responded but she was distracted by the sight before her as she gained her footing on the railing. It was a warehouse. Metal boxes filled most of the space – most of them displaced and overturned, spilling what appeared to be ammunition all over the concrete floor. However, what really caught Nora’s attention was the large, rusted metal warhead that was cradled in a crater in the center of the building. Her throat seized and she gasped.

“Nora?”

“It’s more than large ballistics.” She whispered frantically into the comm.

“What do you mean?” His response was strained, his concern becoming evident.

“It’s a nuke.”

The line went flat on the other side for a moment before Danse responded. “Get out of there.”

The order surprised Nora. She crawled along the railing, trying to find another way out. “What about the mission.”

“The mission isn’t over.” His voice was tense. “I just said get out of there.”

“Affirmative.” Nora responded quietly, eyeing the second floor for some escape. There was rusted railing everywhere, but the only way out was a good four to five feet about the railing not to mention the last bit of the roof she was on collapsed easily with just her weight. No. The only way out was down. The only way out was right next to the nuke. Nora shook off her fear and began the descent to the first floor of the facility.

“I’m coming out at the bottom of the building. Possibly by the security door.”

“Make it quick and quiet.”

“Quick and quiet.” Nora repeated his words as she hopped down from the railing to a sizeable stack of metal boxes. She landed with a thud and quickly lowered herself from the stack to the floor. Her Geiger ticked, indicating a rise in radiation and it made her uneasy. “Radiation in here.”

She maneuvered around the stacks of boxes, suppressed 10mm at the ready. Soon she was face to face with the warhead. It made her dizzy, seeing the bane of mankind with her own two eyes. However, she withdrew her gaze and moved quietly to the security door, the terminal glowing in the dark of the building. Hitting the sleep button on the terminal, the screen brightened, revealing the maglock release option. She hit it. But instead of the telltale click of the door unlocking, a strange message revealed itself on the screen slowly.

**O behold the blessings of creation!**

**………………**

**O behold the blessing of the catalyst!**

**The Children of Atom thank you!**

In the distance, a generator reared and sputtered to a steady thrum. With a loud thud the lights of the facility turned on, revealing a complicated wiring system surrounding the warhead, spiraling up to the ceiling and down the wall she faced, ending about six feet above the terminal she stood at.

Nora’s heart raced as the screen flickered, revealing a clock… It was a countdown from three minutes.

Fuck.

Her hands shook as she took her place back at the terminal, frantically typing away at any system restart sequence she could remember. Nothing happened – the countdown continued. “Danse.”

“Nora?”

She stuttered and fumbled with a response, trying to keep the panic from inhibiting her too much. “R- run away.”

“What?”

“Run away, Danse.”

“Why?

“The bomb was rigged. It was a trap.” Nora could only hope her voice didn’t betray her, as she tried to remain calm but she could feel sweat forming on the back of her neck and her body shook violently as she gave up on the terminal and ran to the garage door on the opposite side of the building.

She reached for any chain, lever, or handle that was in her sight. Nothing budged. She pulled the garage door’s handle as hard as she could, grunting as the rusted metal began to cut into her hands. Her head felt too heavy for her head. Maybe it was radiation poisoning, maybe it was panic.

“I’m getting you out of there.”

“No.” Perhaps the panic was setting in, as her voice waivered painfully with the shout. “Just go.”

The sound of power armor moving from outside of the door caught her attention and she ground her teeth, sweat dripping from her brow into her eyes. “Danse, I said go.”

“I’m your CO, I give the orders here.” His commanding tone comforted her. She peeked back at the terminal.

“We have two minutes.” Nora breathed shakily, approaching the bomb. “You work on the door. I’ll work on the bomb.”

“I’m going to send out a distress signal to the Prydwen.”

“Don’t put more people at risk.”

“Don’t back talk me. I’m getting you out of there.” He grunted angrily. Nora could hear him banging on the other side of the door. She kneeled in front of the bomb, where a small black box was mounted and worked on unlocking it. She didn’t know what it would do, but she didn’t care at this point. The flashing of the clock and the Paladin’s impassioned effort on the other side of the door were too much for her to focus on. The black box clicked open and revealed a rigged circuit box. Several wires were soldered onto a switch panel. Chewing on the inside of her lip, Nora weighed the options briefly before just hitting the switch. Nothing happened. The countdown didn’t end, the lights didn’t flicker, nothing.

Her hands shook more as she backed away from the bomb. Her eyes found the countdown. 1:24…1:23….1:22.

She felt like crying. Out of desperation she backed up to the metal garage door. “Danse, just leave.”

“No.”

“Please.”

“No.”

Her eyes stung as she thought about the dedication of the man on the other side of the door. “Before this thing goes off. I just want to thank you for taking me under your wing. It means everything to me.”

There was no response, just more labored breathing and banging on the other side of the door. “I know I haven’t been that great of a companion but I tried. I hope I did well.”

“Stop.”

“Okay.” Nora laughed slightly and wiped her eyes, pacing as she tried her best to ignore the clock. Her eyes wandered around the room before landing on the helix of wires leading from the bomb to the ceiling. As a last stitch effort, she pulled her switch blade from her boot, bit the blade and began climbing the boxes around the bomb. Legs wobbly, hands sweaty, and eyes stinging, she tried to ascend the bomb. Situating herself on the uneven surface of where the warhead met a palette of ammunition, Nora reached the coiled bundle of wires and began cutting.

“I’m cutting the wires.”

“Good.” Danse replied, out of breath. “I won’t give up on you. Don’t you give up on me.”

His words spurred on just enough motivation for a final push and she pushed the sharp blade into the wires, sawing furiously. As the wires began to snap, the lights began to shut off one by one until Nora was left in near darkness.

Sparks flew, burning her arms and face as she braced herself against the warhead. Her arm ached and burned as she snapped through the last wire – which also was the thickest. The generator shut down, and then the terminal flickered to complete darkness, leaving the countdown at 5 seconds.

Shaking and breathless, Nora rested her cheek against the warhead and closed her eyes, the cool metal soothing her burning skin. Four… Two… Zero…

There was nothing, and Nora shakily pushed herself from the warhead after several seconds of silence. “Danse.” She whispered into the comm. “I think I disarmed it.”

“I’m still working on the door.” He sounded so calm, so put together. He always did. Meanwhile she was reduced to tears on a warhead. She climbed down slowly, legs wobbly and trembling. It was a close call. Far too close. And the threat wasn’t exactly over. She didn’t feel exactly comfortable about being in a building with an undetonated nuke. Once at the door she sat down, her head throbbing painfully.

Soon the door slid up, revealing a bright light and cool night air. Danse approached Nora and grabbed her by the arm, lifting her to her feet and all but dragging her out of the warehouse. Nora obliged but weakly, as her whole body ached from the whole ordeal. Who knew only five minutes of absolute chaos could wear her down.

Once they reached the spot where they had originally convened, Danse released her and commanded her to sit. She did, resting against the nearby chain-link fence. Dance adjusted his comm settings and spoke to someone – undoubtedly a nearby Scribe or soldier. Nora paid no mind to the conversation and tried to rise to her feet. Danse turned as he heard her stirring and grabbed her shoulder, sitting her down on the ground forcefully while maintaining his conversation.

Once he was done he turned to her and took off his helmet, kneeling in front of her. He tore the comm from his ear, tore the comm from her ear and motioned for her to look at him. She did, and regretted it as soon as she saw his furrowed brow and pursed lips.

“If I recall, one of the first things I ever told you was I don’t tolerate heroics. I’m your commanding officer. You don’t tell me what to do. If I say jump, you ask how high – you don’t ask me to do it with you and you sure as hell don’t tell me to leave. Am I understood?”

Nora flushed and diverted her gaze. She felt like a little girl again – being scolded by her father. While she felt the need to say something, she didn’t. He was right. She was a member of the Brotherhood and he was her CO. His power armor covered hand found her chin and gently brought her face to his. “You’ve been an excellent companion. The very best. I don’t want anyone else by my side in the wasteland. Don’t you ever doubt yourself again, soldier.”

Nora inhaled deeply through parted lips. She felt lightheaded again, and it wasn’t because of the events that transpired but instead her proximity to the Paladin. And him touching her face? She was shaking all over again, but this time it wasn’t out of fear. Even through his power armor the action felt unusually intimate. His expression softened suddenly as he noticed her shaking. His hand left her chin and he stroked her cheek. The action drew an audible exhale from Nora. She leaned into the cool metal hand and closed her eyes.

Nora bit her lip and grabbed the metal arm, surprised to find it pliant and willing to do as she please, and held the hand to her chest. Rational thought left her and all that remained was the man she looked up to the most and the remnants of a soul-shaking near-death experience. When she opened her eyes she found the Paladin watching her intently. He licked his lips and inhaled deeply.

The distant sound of a vertibird approaching reached their ears but they didn’t break their eye contact. Danse hesitantly removed his hand and moved to put his comm back in his ear, clearing his throat. “We’ll take care of you back on the Prydwen. You appear to show symptoms of disorientation and radiation poisoning. After you’re fit for full duty I will come and retrieve you for a debriefing.”

His dismissal of what just transpired between them almost hurt Nora but she pushed it aside, nodding obediently. “Yes, sir.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for the support! Sorry for the delay. I had a semester to finish and school. Anyways, I'm back for awhile. Enjoy! Also, if you all have suggestions or prompts, I'm more than willing. 
> 
> So to be honest I'm not too sure where this story is going but I have an idea.
> 
> There's a lot of fluff, angst and sexuality in this chapter.

Six full days in the intensive care unit of the Prydwen nearly drove Nora to insanity. Her diagnosis was radiation poisoning and exhaustion but the Brotherhood didn’t mess around with medical issues and took every measure to ensure she was hydrated, well-fed, rested and pumped full of radaway. It was boring, to say the least.

At night, when taps had been called over the PA and lights went out, she could vaguely make out Danse’s voice in the hallway. She’d be lying if she didn’t get up and peek out of the window one time just to see him. She couldn’t see him, of course, but she heard him stop by the clinic every night just before her assigned nurses left their shift.

She had so many things she wanted to tell him. To ask him. What happened at the depot haunted her; the bomb, the timer, the radiation, and of course him. What he said, what he did, what she did. God, she couldn’t get it out of her head.

On the morning of her seventh day in ICU Nora was enjoying her breakfast when the door slid open, revealing her day nurse and Danse in his fatigues. His appearance nearly made her choke on her mutfruit juice. Sitting up straight in her bed, she winced slightly as the IV in her hand tugged her flesh.

“Good Morning Knight Archer. Your sponsor is here to visit you.” The young male nurse allowed Paladin Danse to move ahead of him before leaving the small room and sliding the door shut.

“Sir.” Nora choked out quietly, her voice raspy from lack of use. She hadn’t much of a reason to talk to the staff beyond basic necessity.

“Archer.” The use of her last name disappointed her slightly, but she remembered that they were on the Prydwen where fraternization can result in swift disciplinary action. “I’m pleased to see you’re doing well.”

“Thank you.” Nora managed, bringing her long unkempt curls across her left shoulder. “I – um – I wanted to apologize for my actions at the depot. You’re my CO. I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for you. I crossed the line into insubordination. It wasn’t my intent. I promise to obey your orders clearly from now on.”

The words came out fluent. Almost too fluent. It was a prepared apology, as she had six days to think about what she did and what to say to make it right. His normally impassive expression was replaced by brief confusion before he squared his jaw and gave a small smile.

“Apology accepted. You’re an exemplary soldier, minor insubordination or not.”

Nora smiled back before looking down at her food tray. She picked up her spoon and played with her food, unsure of what to say next. Danse dragged a chair next to her bed and sat down, leaning forward on his elbows. Nora peeked up at him and her heart fluttered. He must have taken some RnR in the last few days as well. The dark circles under his eyes were all but gone, he was clean shaven and he… got a haircut? His thick hair was rid of the grime of the wastes and was neatly tapered and cut. It looked good. Too good. She gripped her spoon tightly, trying to quell the ache that had begun in her chest. “You got your hair cut.”

Danse appeared almost bashful, “Yes. I did.”

“It… it looks nice.” Nora wanted to jump off of the Prydwen for being so shaken by a damn hairut. “I mean – it’ just a cut of course and I’m making it sound like it’s the greatest thing that’s happened to you, but it does look nice. Very professional.”

Oh yeah. Right off of the flight deck and into that frigid, murky ocean.

“Thank you.” His voice became a low whisper and he leaned in closer. Nora clenched her jaw, trying to ignore the overwhelming smell of aftershave that invaded her senses. What was he doing to her?

“What- what are you doing?”

Danse hesitated in his answer. “I – I want to be close to you.”

The ache that had begun in Nora’s chest violently spread through her entire body, concentrating particularly in her stomach. She remembered this feeling – it was the feeling when Nate kissed her for the first time, touched her for the first time, made love to her for the first time. It was difficult to explain, even more difficult to justify.

Dropping the spoon, Nora sighed shakily. “Please tell me what this is because it’s… it’s really confusing.”

“I don’t know what it is. It’s feelings that I’ve never experienced before.” His honesty was evident by the way his face flushed and his gaze fell to the floor. “I don’t know how to describe it.”

Self-conscious, Nora shifted in her bed and moved the tray off of her lap and to the nearby table. Danse watched her moved, his eyes scanning every inch of her body. She blushed and pulled the sheet over her legs and waist, trying to cover herself as inconspicuously as possible.

Danse placed his hands on the edge of the bed. “I remember when we spoke last about our… relationship. You did give me quite a bit to think about. I think of you not only as my protégé but my close friend. I’ve felt like this for a long time. But after I really began thinking about it after I noticed that when we would part ways I would – would hurt.”

“Hurt?” Nora curiously repeated, her eyes meeting his.

“Every time you leave I get this terrible ache in my chest. At first I assumed it was a medical issue – I even went to the sick-bay – it didn’t take long to draw the correlation between the pain and your absence.”

Nora wanted to smile at his soft admission but she didn’t. She just sat there, wide-eyed and dumb. But her lack of reaction didn’t quell the butterflies fluttering wildly in her stomach.

“I want to be close to you.” He repeated his admission, eyes boring into hers as his soft, deep confessions picked apart her heart. “Our op with the bomb did something to me. It broke me. I’ve been so distracted over the past week that I’ve had to take leave.”

His voice remained low but became gruff with emotion. “I find myself wanting to stay here and take care of you more than fighting out in the Commonwealth.”

Nora was lightheaded all over again, her very being buzzing with possibilities and emotions. She didn’t know what to say, but she sat up and let the sheet that was covering her fall. It wasn’t as if she was indecent – she was clad in the standard get up of ICU patients: white shirt and shorts. But propriety on the battlefield hadn’t allowed her to expose much skin to the world – nonetheless her commanding officer. He kept his eyes on her as she moved, making her feel more exposed than ever. However, she fought whatever self-consciousness she felt and placed her hand on his. Danse twitched at the small contact and Nora did the same.

His hands were rough with callouses and warm. So warm. His fingers curled around her small ones and he cleared his throat, whispering another confession. “I want to touch you.”

Nora withdrew her hand from his to pull the curtain across the observation window and took his hands back in hers, whispering softly. “Then do it.”

Not needing anymore instruction, the Paladin brought her smaller hands to his face and placed a small kiss on each palm. His eyes found hers and her whole body was on fire. He released her hands and brought his own down to her exposed thighs. His calloused fingers rubbed and squeezed her soft flesh, drawing audible breaths from the woman.

Danse never took his eyes from hers and when a particularly deep breath hitched in her throat, a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Nora had never experienced such arousal in her life; she felt as if she would reach her precipice at any moment. Emboldened by his exploratory touches she retrieved his left hand and brought it up to her mouth to kiss his rough fingertips one at a time. His jaw clenched with her attentions and his other hand travelled further up, brushing underneath the hem at her thighs.

Once Nora finished kissing his fingers she placed a kiss on his palm and placed his large hand on the side of her neck. He caressed the soft flesh of her neck, paying particular attention to her exposed collar bone. She arched her back and grabbed the hand on her neck.

“I – Sir…” Nora was elated and delirious with pleasure – and his title was the only thing that came to her in the haze. It was odd, hearing herself say it in such circumstances. It proved as useful though, as in response to her soft cry the Paladin released a groan. Keeping his hands on her body, Danse rose from his seat and brought his mouth to hers for a searing kiss. Nora quivered as their lips met heatedly – if not clumsily – and moaned.

In this moment, faith had been restored for Nora. Heaven was no longer a construct of mortal fear to be covered in the shadow of doubt and nuclear fallout. No – her heaven was real and created from the pent up emotions that spilled into the heated kiss. It was months of admiration and decorum. It was desire and heat. It was aftershave and chapped lips.

Breaking away from the kiss, Danse placed his forehead against hers, his eyes locked onto hers. “We’ve broken at least a whole chapter in the Code of Conduct. We cannot continue this while I’m still your CO.”

Nora blinked and swallowed thickly, torn painfully between her better judgment and everything she wanted in that moment. So she groaned and pulled away from him. “You’re killing me.”

Danse sighed and brought his hands to the sides of her face, caressing her features lovingly. They stayed like that for a while, eyes locked and hands exploring chastely. She was astounded by how muscular and hairy his forearms were, how large his hands were, how his nails were trimmed neatly, as if he had dedicated a lot of time to it. There was so much to be revealed about him through touch and she ached for more. Yet when a rather loud discussion between two nurses caught their attention their hands withdrew from each other and Nora curled back underneath the blanket. Danse leaned back in his chair, preparing for the intrusion and muttered quietly. “We both have been summoned for a debriefing by Elder Maxson – that’s why I came here. After that we’ll find somewhere more appropriate to finish this discussion.”

“Yes, sir.”

* * *

 

Nora felt out of place standing in the middle of observation deck next to Paladin Danse, facing Elder Maxson as he addressed them. The attention placed on her made her skin crawl and on top of that she was flustered by overwhelming scent of Danses’ aftershave and toothpaste. She could still taste it.

The young Elder was saying something regarding the nuke that she disarmed only by the grace of God. She wasn’t paying attention but somehow figured out when the appropriate time to respond was. Years of living with military types, she figured.

“Knight Archer,” The Elder quipped, uncharacteristically relaxed around her. “You’ve been through a lot in the past week and I know you’re eager to get back out in the field; there’s an administrative assignment I think you will be best suited for while you finish recuperating. I will brief you on it tomorrow, when I’ve finished receiving the final details. Until then enjoy some shore leave.”

“Thank you, Elder Maxson.” Nora squeaked out.

The young man turned his attention to the Paladin next to her. “Paladin Danse, I have a matter to discuss with you in private. Knight Archer, you’re dismissed.”

* * *

 

Nora left and made her way to the flight deck to wait for Danse. It was a beautiful day out – the sun was bright, the clouds sparse and breeze warm. If there was one thing that Nora was grateful for it was the lack of nuclear winter that had been theorized when she was a child – she hated cold weather. Despised it. She leaned against the railing facing west and hummed a tune to herself, fingers tapping excitedly against the cold metal as she contemplated her relationship with Danse.

Soon the hydraulics of the door hissed open and Danse exited, expression unreadable as he approached Nora.

“Hey…”

“We’re going down to the airport.”

He left no room for discussion and Nora obliged, following him to the vertibird. He boarded first, offering her his hand to help her into the aircraft. She held onto his hand for perhaps a second longer than she should have when inside and he clearly noticed, as his quick double take gave him away.

The ride to the airport felt like an eternity, and following Danse until they both were out of the sight and ears of Brotherhood personnel felt longer. Finally, the Paladin found a sizeable office that was far away enough from high traffic areas. Once the door closed behind them Nora felt as if a burden had been lifted off of her shoulders.

Desperate for conversation, she spoke quietly as he took a seat on the nearby couch. “How did your meeting with Elder Maxson go?”

“It went well…” His answer was concise and it was evident he didn’t want to speak about it further. Nora approached the couch and slowly lowered herself right next to him, tucking her legs underneath her body. Something was wrong with him – she could tell.

Pushing aside the nervousness she felt, Nora reached out and touched the side of his face, feeling the slightest stubble coming in after just a few hours. Danse tensed slightly at the contact but soon leaned into hand, bringing his up to clasp around hers. “Archer… Nora… I wanted to talk about what transpired this morning.”

Nora withdrew her hand from his face and allowed him to hold it. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m obviously not good at these sort of things. I’ve – I’ve never been with someone romantically and I don’t know how to be whatever this is. I know you had a child before the war and I don’t know what your relationship was with the father but I – after thinking about it – I can’t provide what he could have provided for you and I want to desperately. However, decorum....”

Nora chewed on the inside of her lip and looked down to where their hands met. “I realized that I never told you about my life before the war the day that we went on the depot op. That wasn’t right of me and I’m sorry. I should have been more forthright with this information but it hurt too much to speak of it at first.”

Danse raised a brow. “You still don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No.” Nora shook her head and huddled up against the back of the couch, gripping onto his hand. “I want to now.”

“Very well, then.” Turning to face her, Danse reached out and tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “When you’re ready.”

Nora took a deep breath and began. “I was born and raised in the Commonwealth. My father was an Officer in the Army. My mother was an engineer in the Navy. My household was very strict growing up. I lived a very sheltered life - wasn’t allowed to do a lot.”

Nora inhaled, thinking back on her past. “I wasn’t allowed to visit friends or go out with them. On weekends, while everyone else was outside playing I was studying. My parents wanted to me to focus on school first and I did. It worked. I graduated high school two years early. Finished my bachelors in three years and my masters in another three. I just… feel like I never had a chance to experience things.”

 “My father was a very serious man. His father was military, too. It was a family trade of sorts. He went to Westpoint – an Army academy – when he was seventeen. He was commissioned by twenty-two. Left for the battlefield at twenty-three. Came back at twenty-seven to get married and have me. Left again. Came back. Left, et cetera.” Nora let out a bitter laugh, thinking of her father’s dedication to his service and how it affected her mother.

“Even though my mother was in the Navy she was a gentle woman. She was soft-spoken, smart, but very detached. I don’t think she wanted to be a mother – not that she didn’t love me. My father ruled the roost so she never had much of a choice in matters. I was never really close to them, to be honest. So once I left for school I didn’t talk to them much.”

“What did you study?” A slight grin formed on his face and he reached forward, playing with the loose ends of her hair. Nora’s chest warmed at his actions; she loved it.

“Law.” Laughed bubbled up from her chest. “I like to read and talk peoples’ ears off. Law was good for me.”

Smiling broadly, Danse leaned forward and inched closer to her. “I can tell. You always have your nose in a book when it’s taps.”

“Watching me while I sleep, Danse?” Nora felt a flush creeping to her face and she planted her cheek against the back of the couch, eyeing him playfully. In turn, Danse stuttered and jumped to defense, his large brown eyes betraying his nervous smile.

“I was watching you while you pretended to sleep.”

“So what else have you seen?” Nora raised her brows and bit her lip, the naughty satisfaction of teasing the Paladin too tempting to resist. They had crossed a boundary and she felt comfortable enough to push the limits.

Danse stuttered for a few seconds before the underlying meaning of the question hit him like a ton of bricks. “I don’t… I don’t think I’ve seen you do anything that might be compromising… if – if that’s what you’re indicating.

“I’m just teasing.” Nora reassured him, moving to bring one of her legs out from underneath her and placing it on Danses’ lap. He tensed slightly but Nora felt bold. She had to experiment – for science or something like that. Romantic science. Yeah. He let her press her thigh up against his and even placed a gloved hand on his knee. The contact was addicting and Nora was building a tolerance already.

“So I went to school, graduated, found some work and met Nate. We fell in love and married quickly. Not the smartest decision on both of our parts but we made it work. I had to quit work after we were married. He didn’t mind me working but… well… back then it wasn’t considered proper for a woman to continue working after she was married. My colleagues didn’t see me as an asset anymore because they thought I would become pregnant at any moment. It was tough to find clients and cases. Soon, I just called it quits because it wasn’t worth the effort. Then we had Shaun. Things were nice during my pregnancy but I went stir crazy and poor Nate had no clue how to handle a pregnant woman.” Nora shook her head humorously, memories of sobbing, late night arguments, and sweet make up sex coming back to her with a flurry of emotion.

“How… how does one handle a pregnant woman?” There was a sincere innocence in the question that enamored Nora. She looked up at him and realized, in that moment, why she was falling in love with him so quickly.

“Not easily.” Nora prefaced her answer, “Nate was a soldier. He served for eight years before being medically discharged. He was a kind man but he was a soldier. He didn’t sugar-coat things. Pregnant women are notoriously sensitive because of the hormonal changes; I was when I was carrying Shaun. On top of that, we weren’t exactly good when it came to communication. Long story short there were a lot of arguments.”

“But you loved each other.”

“I still love him. That kind of love doesn’t just disappear with death. I hope you don’t take that the wrong way. Nate was my best friend– very patient and considerate. He knew me better than I knew myself.”

“I understand.”

Nora looked back to him and offered a small, sad smile before sighing. “However, as fate would have it, I’m still here and he’s not. I’m moving on, slowly but surely… and I have you to thank for that.”

There was a comfortable silence that fell over them and Nora closed her eyes for a moment, the heavy weight on her shoulders feeling lighter than ever. She felt as if Nate would have been proud of her, rather than disappointed in her moving on. He was a reasonable man and she a reasonable woman. If she had passed and he survived she wouldn’t have any qualms about him finding happiness. She knew that he would have mirrored her sentiment.

“Nate and I lived together in Sanctuary Hills.”

“Your settlement?”

“The very same. When the war started – it was all a flash. I don’t remember much up until the moment that the sirens started. We ran to the vault with Shaun. We went in and they froze us. I woke up at some point and there were men that took Shaun and they… They murdered Nate. I was trapped… helpless. I couldn’t do anything.” Her voice tapered off into a whisper as she remembered the frigid pod and the white hot heat that surged through her as the scene played out before her. She was spitting, snarling, cursing, shaking, beating on the glass until blood smeared across the frosted surface. She had never experienced such an empty but passionate kind of anger before in her life. Feeling tears prickle her eyes, Nora stopped and took a deep breath, trying to ward off the invading mental images that came to her with speaking about the memories.

Danse appeared stoic as usual but by the way his expression softened indicated his support. It was comforting, and within a few moments of silence Nora continued.

“I woke up, escaped the vault and since then I’ve been trying to find Shaun. The rest is merely a matter of meeting the Minutemen and hearing your distress signal.” Nora ended the story with a small smile, averting her gaze from his. The unexpected high from contentment and physical contact Nora received from the man across her made her head feel three miles wide. There was something so satisfying about opening up and inching across the boundaries of propriety with her commanding officer.

“Anyways,” she began with a deep breath, withdrawing her leg from their pleasant contact and curling into herself. “I’ve ran my gums far too much and to be quite frank, there’s not much else to be said about me.”

Danse appeared forlorn for a mere moment by the loss of contact, his thick brows creasing and his hand following her leg ever so slightly as she pulled away from him. “Thank you for telling me all of this, Nora.”

“It’s no problem…” She replied nonchalantly, eyeing the bright light coming from the broken windows. “So where does this leave us?”

“I – um – I’m not too sure. I care about you more than I’ve cared for anyone else… but…”

But. Nora detested the word. You could go out with friends but good grades are worth more. You could go out with that guy but rumor has it he’s a socialist. You could have this job but you might have a baby.

“My duty to the Brotherhood is of utmost importance.”

Of course, the Brotherhood.

“Even if I were to designate you under the sponsorship of another Paladin we still couldn’t be together for quite some time.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the rules of fraternization are clear cut. Since I am your sponsor I cannot engage in any relationship with you outside the realm of our duties. If I were to transfer your sponsorship to another Paladin, it would still be a conflict of interest. Only until you are out of active duty or I am can we try anything. Even at that, with my position as Paladin, I would need to be cleared to engage in any sort of long-term relationship.”

Nora blinked slowly, the words setting in about as well as a synth aboard the Prydwen. “So… we… can’t?”

“We can… but not for a long time.” Danse’s words were soft and his head dipped with shame. He rubbed his hands together nervously. “There might be some loophole or some way around decorum. However, protocol is protocol and our duty is first and foremost to the Brotherhood. What happened this morning was – um – well, it was nice. I enjoyed it very much, but we cannot act like that until we are cleared to do so. Especially under the eyes of our superiors.”

Nora had no response. She wasn’t angry, per se. Spending day and night with the man that she looked up to the most for weeks at a time took its toll on her. She wouldn’t have it any other way, of course, but the constant interaction and the underlying attraction drove her mad as is. She couldn’t bear to think about what it would be like after being presented with the knowledge that he felt the same way.

Nora tried her best to conceal any frustration and nodded sternly. “Of course. For the Brotherhood.”

The awkward silence that followed weighed heavily on Nora. She felt… disappointed? Yet what did she have to be disappointed about? It wasn’t rejection. Or was it? The frustration clawed at her, and the way his beautiful brown eyes ignited that fire in her belly didn’t help ease the growing discomfort.

“I ‘spose we should be heading back now, yeah?” Nora stretched her legs out and stood abruptly from the couch, making a beeline for the door.

“Wait.”

She stopped and spun around on her heel, watching the man as he stood and met her across the room. He approached her and placed his hands on her arms, just above her elbows. His large fingers wrapped around her triceps and she briefly wondered if he was going to squeeze her to death. However, he gently caressed her through the fabric and inched closer.

“Danse.” Nora chuckled, gooseflesh breaking out all over her. “You just said that –”

“I know what I just said and I’m willing to ignore the Code of Conduct for just a few more moments for my own sanity.” His voice portrayed a confidence that his eyes didn’t mirror but Nora wasn’t going to complain. He pulled her flush to his body and wrapped his arms around her waist, chin quickly finding a place to rest in the crook of her neck.

Nora was all but overwhelmed by Danse. Broad expanses of muscle pressed against her, and Nora noted how warm he was. The nearly invisible stubble that he acquired over the span of a few hours raked against her exposed skin, causing slight discomfort. As she wrapped her arms around him and planted her cheek against his, she sought to commit every minute detail of the contact to memory.

What a bizarre turn their relationship had taken, she mused to herself while melting into the hug.

* * *

 

After their discussion and tender moment, Nora and Danse spent the rest of the day at the airport, helping with whatever they could in logistics. Nora enjoyed her time with Danse. No matter how professional and clinical it might have felt, the lingering glances and small smiles were all that were needed to comfort her. It wasn’t until a Scribe entered the warehouse in a rush asking for her that the comfort dissipated.

“Knight Archer?” The Scribe appeared from behind a stack of crates near the entrance. Nora responded with a small cry of affirmation as she struggled with carrying a particularly heavy ammo crate. After setting it down, Nora went to meet the young Scribe who struggled to catch his breath.

“Elder Maxson has requested that you meet him in his quarters immediately. There is a vertibird on standby just outside. I am to escort you.”

“Escort me?” Nora rose her brows and leaned to get a good look outside where sure enough a vertibird sat, its propellers maintaining a slow rhythm. Looking back to the Scribe, Nora nodded, un-strapping the work-gloves from her hands. “Very well. I’ll meet you outside in just a moment.”

The Scribe took off and Nora threw her gloves on a nearby crate. As the second one landed, Paladin Danse approached her, eyebrows knitted together. “What’s this all about?”

Nora shrugged and wiped the sweat from her face and neck with a small towel. “I don’t know. Elder Maxson has requested me to come to his quarters. You don’t think I’m in trouble, do you?” The last statement was meant in jest but Nora couldn’t help but wonder. She threw the towel next to the discarded gloves and squared away her hair.

A flicker of clenching muscle in the man’s jaw was the only reaction Nora saw from him as he remained as stoic as ever with his eyes trained over her shoulder.

Nora blinked and raised a single brow. “Does Elder Maxson call Knights into his quarters regularly?”

As if electrocuted, Danse jumped, his gaze broken from the vertibird. He looked down at her and shifted as if he was uncomfortable. “Just hold yourself well, soldier. You always do.”

Nora didn’t argue. “Yes sir.”

* * *

 

Nora would be lying if she said that she hadn’t wondered about the contents of Elder Maxson’s quarters before. He was young. Really young. At twenty she was still adjusting to living away from her parents; messy, cluttered, albeit fun living. When her curiosity was finally sated, she was disappointed. She had expected the quarters to mirror that of a twenty year old before the war not of a fifty year old mob boss – complete with an antique crystal decanter and a fine bottle of whiskey.

The Elder was waiting for her when she entered – seated at the table, leisurely inspecting a set of documents. Keeping her military bearing, she greeted him curtly.

“Sit, Archer.” He replied kindly, motioning toward the chair across from him. Nora obliged as he began explaining the meaning behind his summoning. “I’m going to be upfront with you: I wasn’t planning on enacting this plan today but I find myself with no options. I am absolving your partnership with Paladin Danse.”

Nora felt her heart sink before picking up rapidly. Had they been caught? Her ears burned from embarrassment, but the young man in front of her didn’t present any indication of scorn – in fact, he presented no emotion at all. “Why?”

“You’re both valuable assets to the Brotherhood. His talents are needed in the Capital Wasteland – not the Commonwealth. You are our key to the Institute.”

“Elder, I must protest. In order for me to continue building the mechanism I need to infiltrate I need Paladin Danse.”

“For what? You have the entirety of the Prydwen at your disposal. I am also aware of your numerous contacts outside of the Brotherhood.”

“Paladin Danse is a trusted confidant, sir. I work well with him.”

“Attachment isn’t looked upon with esteem in the Brotherhood, Knight.”

“Attachment is the only reason I joined the Brotherhood, Elder.”

Nora knew she was crossing a line but his demands shook her to the core. She was defensive of her partnership with Danse – awkward romantic entanglement aside. They worked well together – like peanut butter and jelly or – or – hell, she didn’t know what to compare them to. That’s how well they worked together.

The young man’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly and he took a sip from his fine glass. “Some would say your attachment has gone too far.”

Nora’s ears burned again and she felt her face heat up. Swallowing thickly, she looked across the room at the terminal’s dim screen. “If I remember correctly, Elder Maxson, indulging in hearsay is against the Brotherhood of Steel’s code of conduct.”

Keeping her eyes locked on the screen, Nora tensed further. She just pulled out the proverbial rule book on the Elder of the Brotherhood of Steel. After several moments of silence from her superior, Nora spoke again against her better judgement. “Rule eight of the eleven rules of an initiate. Article four of the Code of Conduct. As per the Litany.”

Nora’s voice waivered near the end of her awkward spiel. Surely the young man sitting in front of her knew what the rules of his own militia were. However, Nora rationalized that if she was going to dig her own grave she would enlighten those watching that it was a well-researched grave.

“Ever since you walked onto the Prydwen I noted that you’ve caused some trouble. At first I believed it was intentional but after seeing your genuine attempts to assimilate into Brotherhood culture, I came to the conclusion that your troublemaking was inadvertent.” Maxson’s calm voice piqued her interest and she risked a glance at him. The younger man twirled the whiskey in his glass and took a long swig, finishing it off. His icy gaze met hers and he continued.

“You may have been born on the same planet but you’re not from this world. You don’t belong here. You’re too soft, too forgiving, too attached. It’s not your fault you were born and raised in a time bygone. You’ve joined the Brotherhood, and as such you are my sister. I will help you find your son, Knight Archer. I will help you make it in this world. But you need to let me help you.”

Nora listened and watched, weighing what the young Elder was saying. She looked at the prominent scar on his face, counting the small stitch marks along the side of the deep groove. His expression had softened considerably, and he patiently waited for her response.

“Elder Maxson, have you ever cared for someone?” Nora blinked slowly, carefully choosing her words. “I mean, really cared for someone?”

Maxson stayed silent for several moments, as if thinking about it answer in-depth. “Yes.”

“Then you know that attachment isn’t something you can control with a station reassignment. Not even death can change it – one my say I’m still attached to my husband. Danse was one of the first people I met out of the Vault. I was extremely lucky to come by a man like him in a world like this. He is the one who brought me to the Brotherhood. He was the one who ensured that I was given a second chance.”

Nora swallowed thickly, trying to bring her rant to a reasonable close. She was a chatterbox, after all. “If you send Danse away, not only is the Commonwealth losing a capable Paladin, but I’m losing yet again another person I care about.”

Nora could only hope that her plead didn’t reveal too much about the true nature of her relationship with her sponsor, but pulled just enough at the heartstring of the man in front of her. The men of the Brotherhood were difficult to read. It was as if they were devoid of all emotion sometime. However, after several moments of passive deliberation, the young Elder placed his glass on the table and leaned back into his chair.

“You’ve made your point, Knight. You and Paladin Danse work well together – as a team you produce results that are difficult to replicate with any other two members of the Brotherhood. As such, I will reconsider the reassignment. However, I cannot play favoritism. Your assignments will change, just not right now.”

Nora wrung her hands in her lap, thankful that Maxson was giving her a chance. The weight of Danses’ reassignment was lifted from her shoulders – even if for a moment – and it felt great. With a wave of his large hand, Maxson dismissed her, calm tone betraying the slight scowl on his face. Nora began to leave his quarters but stopped short of the door and turned. She wanted to say something – anything, really.

For the first time in a long time, the words didn’t come to her. So, in her typical pre-war fashion, Nora took a few steps toward Maxson and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing the leather material ever so slightly. The touch was clearly unexpected, as the young man’s eyes widened and he shrunk away just slightly. However, he did not remove himself from the situation. Nora smiled and offered him a thanks before saluting and making haste out of the quarters. The exchange made her feel raw and vulnerable, as if there were forces in the works against her in the organization she clung to for familiarity’s sake. Shaking off the strange feelings, Nora all but ran to the vertibirds, eager to speak with Danse about the meeting.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback. Or ideas. Ideas are cool, too.
> 
> I really like what I have planned for this story.
> 
> Deuces.


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